Fourths to samuel street



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. GOWANS. ELECTRIC ANNUNGIATOR.

No. 593,884. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

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JAMES A. GOlVANS, OF STRATFORD, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO SAMUEL STREET FULLER AND MALCOLM MACFAR- LANE, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC ANnuNclAToa.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,884, dated November 16, 1897.

Application filed April 3, 1897. Serial No. 630,625. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES ADAM GOWANS, millwright, of the city of Stratford, in the county of Perth and Province of Ontario,- Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Annunciators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to devise a simple and cheap annunciator which will be perfectly automatic in operation, requiring no resetting of the hands after a call; and it consists, essentially, of an electric motor having a pointer and stop-arm connected to its shaft, one or more electrically-operated stop mechanisms corresponding in number to the number of calls for which the annunciator is arranged, a source of electricity, and means for simultaneously putting the motor and one of the stop mechanisms in circuit with the source of current, substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved annunciator. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same, partly in section, showing more particularly the electric connections. Figs. 4 and 5 are details, respectively, in elevation and perspective of one of the electromagnets and its armature or stop-arm.

In the drawings like letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

It is a well-recognized fact that the ordinary annunciator does not fully answer the purpose for which it is designed. Servants and others will not trip or restore the drops, needles, or other indicating mechanism and hardly ever know from which room or locality the call proceeds, as there are sometimes two or three pointers or drops registering upon the dial. My machine is intended particularly to remedy this defect and is so arranged that only one call, and that the last call, remains shown upon the dial.

In the drawings, A is the wooden frame of the annunciator, which may be made of any desired design.

B- is a suitably-supported electric motor comprising the armature G and the field magnets D.

E is the commutator with which the brushes F and H are in contact. These brushes are suitably carried by insulating-supports, as shown.

To the shaft I of the electric motor are connected the stop-arm J and the pointer K, which latter is located above the dial-plate L, on which are marked the numbers or names corresponding to the different calls for which the annunciator is arranged.

M are a series of electromagnets corresponding in number to the number of calls for which the annunciator is arranged. These magnets are preferably made with two poles, one forming the core of the magnet and the other a standard to which the armature N is hinged by a small strip of brass or copper.

at is a brass steadying and adjusting screw passing through a hole in the armature and screwed into the core of the magnet.- WVhen 'a current flows through the coil of the magnet, both poles attract the armature, the outer pole first coming in contact therewith. The outer end of each armature is wedge-shaped and provided with a stop I). (See Fig. 4:.)

The stop-arm J is so located in reference to the electromagnets that when any given armature is down the stop Z) will arrest its forward motion and at the same time the arm will be held from jumping backward by being frictionally held between the armature and the top of the magnet.

From the construction above described it follows that if one of the electromagnets be energized and a. current simultaneously sent to the motor the armature of the motor will revolve, carrying with it the pointer and stoparm till the latter is arrested by the armature of one of the electromagnets. The pointer then indicates the number or name on the dial corresponding with the electromagnet which has arrested the stop-arm. As soon as the flow of current to the magnet and motor is arrested the stop-arm will be released; but as the motor is receiving no current the stop-arm and pointer will remain in the same position till another electromagnet is energized and the motor again set in operation.

The electric connections are shown more particularly in Fig. 3, in which 0 is the bat tery or source of current. From one pole of the battery a line-wire I extends to the p ushbuttons Q. The other pole of the battery is connected by the line-wire R with the coil of one of the field-magnets of the motor. Any style of motor may be used, but in the one shown the brush 1 is connected with the coil of the other field-magn et of the motor and the two field coils are connected together as indi cated. The second wires 1 2 3 a from each puslrbutton are connected with the coils of the different electromagnets, as shown. The other end of the coil of the electromagnet M is connected by the wire S with the brush II. The other ends of the coils of each of the electromagnets are also connected with this brush preferably by being connected with the wire S by the wires T, U, and V, though entirely independent connections might be used.

A 13 are the contacts to the bell O. The bell-circuit is shown arranged as a shunt to the main circuit, the contacts A 3 being connected, respectively, with the line-wire R and the brush II. Thus the bell will ring the whole time that a current is passing through the motor. If desired, the connections could be arranged so that the bell would be thrown into circuit only when the stop-arm was in contact with the armature of one of the electromagnets. To avoid corrosion, the brushes are preferably tipped with platinum, and a ring 0 of the same metal is used on the commutator.

To illustrate the operation of the invention, the course of the current when connections have been made at the outer push-button is shown by arrows. From the battery the current passes along the line-wire P through the outer push-button, thence along the wire 1, through the coil of the lower electromagnet M, through the wire S, through the brush II, through the commutator E, through the armature O, through the brush F, through the field-magnet D, and thence through the wire It back to the battery. A portion of the current is shunted through the wires A I) and through the bell. As soon as the circuithas been thus completed the motor revolves till the stop-arm is arrested and the pointerstops at the proper point to register the call.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple annunciator which will be perfectly automatic in its operation, requiring no resetting of the hands after a call.

A further advantage'of the invention lies in the fact that no more battery-power is re quired to operate a large number of calls than is required when the annnneiator is arranged for four or less, as shown in the drawings.

'What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electric annunciator, a suitablycarried motor consisting of field-magnets and a suitably-snpported rotatable anmatu re, and a SlIOPZLIlIl connected to the shaft of the armature of the motor, in combination with one or more electrically-actuated stop mechanisms, and means for causing a currentto pass through the motor and any one of the stop mechanisms so as to draw the stop-a rm round to and arrest it at the said step mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric annunciator, a suitablycarried motor consisting of held-magnets and a suitably-s11pported rotatable armature, and a stop-arn1 connected to the shaft of the armature of the motor in combination with one or more electromagnets each provided with a movable armature adapted when attracted to the magnet to engage and hold the said stoparm, and means for causing a current to Ilow through the motor and any one oi. the said step mechanisms, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an electric annunciator, the co1nblnation of a suitably-carried. motor consisting of field-magnets an d a suitably-supported rotatable armature in circuit with a battery or other source of electricity; a push-button or switch adapted to make and break the circuit; a stop-arm fast on the shaft of the in otor, and an electromagnet in the same circuit with the motor and provided with a su itably-sn pported armature adapted when drawn down to a rrest the motion of the stop-arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In an electric annunciator, the combination of a suitably-carried motor consisting elf field-magnets and a suitably-supported rotatable armature, and a series of electromag nets each arranged in an independent circuit with the motor and a battery or source of current; a push-button in each circuit adapted to make and break contact; a stop-arm connected to the shaft of the motor and a suit ably-supported armature for each electron 1agnet adapted when drawn down to arrest the motion of the stop-arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an electric annunciator, the combina tion, of a suitably-carried motor consisting of. field-magnets and a suitably-supported rotatable armature, and a series of electromagnet is each arranged in an independent circuit with the motor and a battery or source of current; a push-button in each circuit adapted to make and break contact; a stop-arm connected to the shaft of the motor and a suitably-supported armature for each electromagnet adapted when drawn down to arrest the motion oi. the stop-arm, and a bell so connected electrically as to ring whenever a call is made, substan tially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an electric annunciator, the combination of a suitably-carried motor consisting of field-magnets and a suitably-supported rotatable armature, and a series of electromagnets each arranged in an independent circuit with the motor, and a battery or source of one rent; a push-button in each circuitadapted to make and break contact; a stop-arm, cennected to the shaft of the motor; a suilalflysupported armature for each electronntgnct adapted when drawn down to arrest the 1110- tion of the stop-arm; and a bell in aslumtcircuit connected with the battery and with the main circuit before it enters the motor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an electric annunciator, the combination of a suitably-carried motor consisting of field-magnets and a suitably-supported rotatable armature, and a series of electromagsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In an electric annunciator, stop mechanism comprising an electromagnet; a suitablysupported armature having its end Wedgeshaped and provided with a stop, the parts being so located and proportioned that a stoparm may be held between the spool of the electromagnet and the armature when the latter is drawn down, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In an electric annunciator, stop mechanism comprising an electromagnet; a suitablysupported armature'having its end wedgeshaped and provided with a stop, the parts being so located and proportioned that a stoparm may be held between the spool of the electromagnet and the armature when the latter is drawn down, and a brass steadying and regulating screw passing through a hole in the armature into the core of the magnet, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In an electric annunciator,stop mechanism comprising a two-pole electromagnets, one pole forming the core of the magnet and the other a standard; an armature flexibly connected to the said standard by a brass strip and provided with astop at its outer end, and a brass steadying and regulating screw passing through a hole in the armature into the core of the magnet, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Stratford, March 25, 1897.

JAMES A. GOWANS.

In presence of- WM. TRUMBULL, A. 11. MONTEITH. 

